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College football recruiting: Where things stand in the Class of 2022

Kirby Smart helped Georgia finish with the No. 3 recruiting class in the 2021 cycle, and the Bulldogs are already off to a strong start with the 2022 class, landing nine ESPN 300 commits so far. Georgia Athletics

The ESPN 300 has been updated for the 2022 cycle, and as is the case with every college football recruiting class, there are some unique storylines and recruitments to watch for.

This class happens to be unique, as prospects are trying to navigate the process the best they can while being subject to the NCAA-created dead period since last March, when the recruits were still sophomores.

Because of the dead period, the 2022 recruits have not been able to take official visits and, in some cases, haven't even met the coaches recruiting them.

There have been quite a few challenges with this class on the prospects side and the coaching side with enough film to evaluate, no real camps to showcase talents or see prospects in person, and the inability to build relationships face-to-face.

"I think first, this signing class is going to be the most challenging signing class in all of college football," Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said. "I think it's going to make or break programs, not this year, but three or four years down the road. The time that's been missed in live evaluations, in-person evaluations, is so critical.

"I actually feel for the kids, because a lot of these kids are forced to make college decisions without stepping foot on a college campus."